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Depending on how observant you are (or how boring your classes might be), you may have noticed that this year, most classrooms have a new feature: clocks. We have the Quality of Student Life Committee (QSLC) to thank for this development, who have been working hand-in-hand with administration to get this cleared.
The QSLC has been responsible for many of the changes that make our lives better here at Boston College, yet they are so small many barely notice them, explains Tony Tala, CSOM '16, the organization's president. The group meets every Monday to discuss current projects, make suggestions and to meet with administration.
Danielle Johnson / Gavel Media
Two years ago, when alumnus Mirko Kruse '14 was president, he noticed that the questions of why there were no clocks in classrooms and discussions of what might be done about it were coming up more and more often. The administration had several reasons not to have clocks: They were afraid students might steal them or that the clocks could pose as a distraction, and they anticipated issues with changing the clocks for daylight savings.
Kruse and his successor, Ben Couch '15, went back and forth with administration discussing the issue, and ultimately, Couch was able to strike an agreement with administration. Clocks were installed over the summer. Tala notes that not all classrooms have them, such as some of the bigger lecture halls and rooms in Fulton, but they should be in all classes eventually.
While the struggle to get clocks in the classrooms lasted a full two years, Tala says that the administrative hangup was well worth it. “I’m less likely to look at my phone during class,” he says, and he also notes that professors seem to use it as much as students do to keep their lectures on track.
So, if you were one of those among us who noticed the sudden appearance of clocks, now you know who to thank. QSLC is also responsible for many other improvements throughout campus, as they work with departments across BC to make our lives easier. Their handiwork includes, but is not limited to, convenient placement of outlets in our libraries, smoothie days in Mac, making the first floor of O’Neill more aesthetically pleasing and the Chestnut Hill Mall shuttle (which was a collaborative effort between QSLC and UGBC).
